Steven is Missing
by TickerTapeParade
Summary: What if Steven got reverted back to a gem during a mission? What if no one knew if he would regenerate? What if the unthinkable had happened? What would those left behind do?
1. Chapter 1

Steven is Missing

Like a stoic giant, the temple outside the town of beach city stood. It had been there long before the town had, and perhaps it was for that very reason that the first settles of the town had decided to stay there. The four gems that resided there the town regarded as somewhat odd, but everyone had long grown accustomed to their presence.

Today seemed far lonelier than most days did in beach city, though none of the residents could quite place why that was. Perhaps it was the weather. Cold, stone grey clouds covered the sky, no threat of rain but projecting a feeling just as heavy. Or perhaps it was the changing of the seasons. As the days grew shorter and colder, it was a natural human reaction to feel just that little bit more somber. It was harder to feel cheerful in dreary weather, after all.

Or perhaps it was because the town's gem population had been by one.

The house built in front of the temple was wracked with heavy sobs. Pearl sat on the couch, her head buried deep in her hands. Her slender figure heaved with every breath she took, hot tears running down her face. Beside her sat Amethyst. The purple gem was trying to comfort her friend, but her façade was clearly starting to slip. Her eyes were damp, and her voice was starting to choke up.

Garnet was the most composed of the three present, content to seeming stare out into empty space. Her arms folded across her chest, she leaned back against the wall behind the couch. She remained silent, staying clear from the two gems to her right.

Sitting on the counter in front of them sat the source of their grief; the fourth gem in their group. He sat small and silent, not moving in the slightest. The pink quartz gem sat there innocently, seemingly oblivious of the boy that it was usually apart of.

"H-How could I let this happen?" Pearl cried. "I'm supposed to protect him."

"It's going to be fine." Amethyst took the pastel gem by the shoulder. "He'll just reform after while, right Garnet?"

"He's only part gem. Nothing like this has ever happened before." She said in an even, detached voice.

Amethyst turned her head downwards, then back towards her distraught friend.

"It's going to be alright." She was trying to sound hopeful, but even she was not convinced. The first tear rolled down her cheek, and she quickly wiped it away with her free arm. Pearl's sobs had become quieter, and now her weeping was barley above a whisper. Her hands had fallen across her knees, and Amethyst had laid her hand over top of Pearls in a comforting gesture.

Garnet summoned her gauntlets, and threw a hard right hook at the wall behind her. The wood cracked and splintered under the pressure, cracks snaking outward from the impact point. She held the gauntlet in the hole for a moment and took a deep breath, before dissolving it. She remained an outward appearance of stoicism the whole time, and upheld it as she walked through her door in the temple.

The other two gems remained in the room in somber silence. As the room grew darker with the encroaching night, Pearl gestured for Amethyst to return to her room. Some time to herself was what she felt she needed, and it wouldn't do for Amethyst to be her emotional sponge. That wasn't health for anyone.

Reluctantly, Amethyst took one last look at the pink quartz gem on the counter, before returning to her room. Pearl was left to her thoughts in the dark. She intended to wait by Steven until he came back, no matter how long it took.


	2. Chapter 2

The morning brought no respite to anyone in the temple. The concrete sky was still hanging overhead, threatening to open up at any moment. Pearl, eyes bleary and bloodshot, had not moved an inch since Amethyst had left the previous night. Dead focused, she seemed to stare through the quartz gem, locked in her own little world.

Garnet was the first to come through the door. She was disappointed, but unsurprised to see Pearl still sitting up. She walked over towards her and sat down, laying a comforting arm across her shoulder.

"Take a break, Pearl. I can watch him now."

"I can't." Pearl said with exhausted desperation. "What if he comes back? What if something goes wrong? What if-"

"Pearl. You're not helping anyone doing this to yourself." Garnet gave her a gentle push towards the temple door. "Go rest."

It wasn't and argument she could win, and Pearl knew it. With her head hung low and a depressing gait, she entered her room. Taking a seat on her pillar of water, she crossed her legs, put her head in her hands, and wept.

The door closed, and Garnet lost sight of Pearl. No sooner had the door closed than it opened again, revealing an somber Amethyst. She wandered absently over to the couch, and took a seat beside Garnet.

"It's been a whole day. Why hasn't he come back?" Amethyst asked, desolate.

"This wasn't supposed to happen." Garnet relied vaguely, her tone unreadable.

"Come on Steven. We need you back, buddy."

Amethyst got up from the couch, and walked over to the counter. She reached up, a took the pink gem delicately into her hands. Slowly, carefully, she brought the gem down from it's position on the counter and into her hands. Finally taking the first close look at the gem since the mission, she looked upon it with a newfound devastation. Turning to look at Garnet, the tears ran down her face like a river.

Garnet looked back anxiously, and walked over to look at the gem. Upon inspection, she recoiled with overwhelming despair. The first tears the gems had cried in ages rolled down her face as her stoic nature finally broke down at the sight.

On the face of Steven's gem was a hairline fracture running from corner to corner. The quartz gem was cracked.


	3. Chapter 3

The sound of a warp pad activating resounded within Rose's Garden. Nature seemed to be running its course, as plants of all kinds were beginning to grow over and within everything. Despite the dense foliage, there still remained a clear path through the maze, as though the plants still respected the purpose of the location. A chill wind blew quietly through the garden, dreary and bleak.

Upon the warp pad stood the Crystal Gems, silent as the grave. Garnet stood at the forefront, face hard and unreadable. Behind her to the right was Pearl, eyes bloodshot from crying, tears still running down her face. To Pearl's left was Amethyst, all her attention on the object she carried. Cradling the gem in a square of cloth, she carried the gem as though her life depended upon it.

They followed the path as it winded through the Garden. The beauty of the roses and plants seemed painted with a think coat of grey paint, all seemed bleak. Above them the clouds were growing ever darker, threatening to open up at any moment.

Occasionally a fallen tree or other such object would obscure their path to the fountain. When they came across such obstacles, Garnet would splinter them to pieces ruthlessly, turning her hidden upset into anger, and her anger into violence. After the obstacle was clear, she would snap back into composure. She would regain her stoicism, righting herself and dissipating her gauntlets.

Together, they turned the final corner. In front of them loomed the statue of Rose Quartz, her head cast downward towards the three gems in front of her. Water poured from the statues eyes, splashing as it fell into the water basin below.

Slowly Amethyst stepped forward, kneeling on the edge of the fountain. Behind her, Garnet stood as stoic as ever. Pearl clasped her hand together over her mouth, eyes wide with a swirling mix of sadness, fear, and hope.

With great care, Amethyst slipped her hands beneath the water of the fountain, soaking the Quartz gem in the healing waters. As the waters began to flow over the gem, a bright pink light began to emanate from it. Amethyst released he grasp on the glowing gemstone, the crack across the face healing over.

The three gems recoiled from the brilliant light, as the gem rose into the air. The light was as strong as a supernova, tinged with a deep pink radiance. As the gem healed, it rose out of the water, high up above the fountain. Eventually, the light faded, and the gem hung motionless in the air.

As it began to fall, Amethyst sprang into action. Being the closest, she covered the space in no time, and snagged the gem out of the air before it hit the ground. Both Pearl and Amethyst let out deep sighs of relief, and Garnet allowed herself to relax somewhat.

The three let out a collective sigh of relief as they gazed upon the gem. Its previously brilliance was resorted, flawless once again. Amethyst replaced Steven's gem back into its cloth with great care.

One warp pad trip later, the three gems arrived back at the temple. They had made good time, for the sky had begun to open up. Rain was pouring down heavily outside, sky covered in dark thunderclouds.

Suddenly, the door flung open, causing Pearl to nearly jump through the roof in fright. A drenched, heavyset man in a tank top and cut off jeans burst into the house, frantic look in his eyes.

"What happened? Where's my son?" Greg was hysterical, pulling out what was left of his hair.

"Don't worry, Mr. Universe. Everything is going to be fine." Garnet put her hands on Greg's shoulders, pulling him back to his feet.

As he stood upright, he noticed the Quartz Gem resting innocently upon a small pillow. He took the gem into his hands, cupping it with a father's love. His entire body was trembling with sadness. Overcome with emotion, he began to sob as he cradled it in his hands.

"I'm such a terrible father, I couldn't keep him safe."

Garnet seemed as stone-faced as she ever had, and Pearl was in a severely distraught state once again. Pearl felt herself curl up, closing herself off to the world as she relieved that horribly awry mission again and again in her head. Despite her own severe guilt and sadness, Amethyst walked over to comfort the devastated father.

She kneeled down beside him, unsure of where to even begin. Words failing her, she placed a comforting arm around Greg's wracked shoulders. She was about to open her mouth to say something, when a bright light once again began emanating from Steven's gem.

The Quartz gem rose to the ceiling, bright light filling the darkened room. Outside, thunder arms grew from the gem, followed quickly by a pair of legs. Curly tufts of poofy hair began growing out, their body growing larger by the second.

As the reformation began to finish and the light fade, they could finally see the the gem before them. A flowing white dress. A huge, extravagant pink hairstyle filed with loops and curls. And a star shape hole on her chest, wherein sat Steven's gem.

Rose looked around with extreme confusion, a case of waking amnesia currently clouding her mind. As she woke up, she looked upon herself with a look of absolute terror. She looked up and saw Greg, paralyzed in a traumatic state of emotion. Similar feelings hung over everyone in that dark room, rain continuing to pound against the house.

Greg was the first to break down, falling to the ground a shattered shell of a man. As shock gave way to devastation, so to did everyone else. The inhabitants of that house fell into a devastation from which they would never recover.

For Steven was gone, and he wasn't coming back.


End file.
